India: Local language can be made compulsory by states

[Harold Schiffman]

Local language can be made compulsory by states: SC
Rakesh Bhatnagar
Tuesday, February 19, 2008  02:56 IST


NEW DELHI: In a major ruling that might encourage many states to make
the local language compulsory in educational institutions, the Supreme
Court on Monday upheld a Tamil Nadu government enactment making Tamil
compulsory from Class I in all schools in the state. This enactment
has been in force since 2006. "We can't interfere with a policy
decision of the state," a bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and JM
Panchal observed, refusing to interfere with a Madras high court
judgment that also upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu Tamil
Learning Act of 2006.

The judges also dismissed several petitions filed from Kanyakumari
district by an organisation called Malayala Samajam. The apex court
cited similar laws in Karnataka and Maharashtra where Kannada and
Marathi are compulsory subjects respectively.The Madras HC had said
the legislation was not unreasonable or discriminatory and did not
result in minority institutions losing their character.

b_rakesh at dnaindia.net


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